This series forms part of the project “Preservation of Libraries and Archives in Iraq: Building Capacity for Preventive Conservation,” implemented by HERITΛGE (The Heritage Management Organization) in collaboration with TARII (The Academic Research Institute in Iraq). It complements the project’s core training activities by offering additional expertise on key topics related to the preservation of documentary heritage.
While the main training programme is designed for selected participants, the webinars are open to a broader public audience, providing an opportunity for wider knowledge exchange and engagement.
Our next roundtable is titled:
Digitising Endangered Heritage: Opportunities, Challenges, and Global Inequalities
This round table brings together leading experts to discuss the importance, the opportunities and persistent challenges of digitising archives worldwide. The session will explore the impact of digitisation, the importance of strong partnerships and global inequalities in digital preservation.
Speakers :
Dr Columba Stewart, Director of the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library (HMML),
This presentation will focus on the collaboration with the Centre Numérique des Manuscrits Orientaux (CNMO) that resulted in the digitisation of more than 6050 manuscripts in Northern Iraq. Many of these manuscripts were relocated, lost or destroyed after 2014, making the digital surrogates the best witnesses to a culture threatened by war, persecution, and migration from its ancestral homeland.
Peter Herdrich, Senior Presidential Advisor, Global Partnerships and Cultural Heritage Strategy (CLIR).
Drawing on digital heritage initiatives in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, this talk explores the realities of documenting cultural heritage under ongoing threat. It emphasises the need to scale up efforts, strengthen partnerships, and mobilise resources to respond effectively to continuing risks.
Jody Butterworth, Curator, Endangered Archives Programme, (British Library)
This presentation focuses on global funding mechanisms supporting endangered archives. It highlights both the opportunities provided by grant programmes and the structural challenges faced by applicants, particularly in resource-limited contexts.
Stéphan Ipert, Lecturer, (Virginia Commonwealth University Qatar)
This talk critically examines the expansion of digitisation projects alongside the challenges of digital preservation. It highlights issues of access, sustainability, and the risk of widening inequalities between the Global North and Global South.
Moderator: Dr Maja Kominko
📅Date: Wednesday, 20 May 2026
⏰Time: 18:00 pm - 20:00 pm Baghdad Time (17:00 CET)
🗣 Language: English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic
💻 Platform: Zoom (After filling out the registration form, you’ll receive a personalized link)